


The New Neighbor

by PerkyGoth14



Category: The Amazing World of Gumball
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-24
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-03-19 08:45:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3603792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerkyGoth14/pseuds/PerkyGoth14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Denny Bonchaz moves into the neighborhood and many amazing and wacky adventures in her new hometown of Elmore await her, especially when she befriends Gumball, Darwin, and Anais.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Gerbil

"Well, Denny, this is our new home." Mr. Bonchaz said to his daughter, he was a gerbil with brown hair and wore an orange sweater with green diamond patterns, brown pants and lighter brown shoes and had a long tail which made him seem like a rat, but he had small ears.

His daughter came out, she had long-ish black hair with a cream yellow shirt with a white collar and fringe with buttons, a navy blue skirt, white long socks, and black and white Mary Janes. "Nice place..." she smiled a little. "But... It's not like home..."

"Oh, honey, I know you miss our old town, but this will be fine," Mr. Bonchaz soothed. "Besides, you know I have to work at the Rainbow Factory now. It's time we see new sights anyway and meet new people, don't you think? Just think of your eight brothers and sisters in college, they're trying new experiences right now and you can too in this town of Elmore."

"Mmm..." Denny scratched her furry chin. "Yeah, Dad, I guess you're right."

"Of course I am," Denny's father smiled with a chuckle.

"Hello?" a blue cat woman walked over with a smile as she held a plate with a slobbering pink rabbit next to her who looked hungry for the gelatin on the cat's plate. "You must be our new neighbors, the Bonchaz's."

"That would be me," Mr. Bonchaz replied with a smile. "My name's Arthur Johnathon Bonchaz, and this is my daughter, Denise... Denny for short."

"Sup?" Denny put a hand up.

"Nice to meet you, Denny," the blue cat smiled. "I'm Nicole Watterson and this is my husband-Richard, stop drooling, that's bad manners!"

Richard moaned, really wanting the dessert.

"I hope you can accept this gelatin," Nicole handed the plate over. "My mother always did it for new neighbors and I thought it'd be nice."

"Oh, thank you, Nicole," Arthur took it with a smile. "I'm sure Denny and I will enjoy it," he then looked down to see the rainbow pin on her shirt. "Oh, you work in the Rainbow Factory?"

"Why, yes, I do," Nicole replied with a smile. "You must be one of the new rookies coming in next week?"

"That would be me," Arthur smiled, then looked to her husband. "And what do you do for a living, Richard?"

"I actually WORK AT HOME..." Richard replied calmly. "You should work at home too! Maybe your wife could work for you!"

"My wife is no longer with us." Arthur admitted.

"Oh, I'm we're so sorry..." Nicole put a paw to her face sadly. "How long has she been dead?"

"Oh, Zelda isn't dead," Arthur replied. "We just separated shortly after Denny was born..."

"I only see her like once a year..." Denny added, shuffling the sidewalk with her foot.

"Oh, sorry to hear that, dear, I'm sure you'll love it here though," Nicole gently patted Denny on the head. "That's a good little squirrel..."

"I'm a gerbil." Denny corrected.

"I thought you guys were a couple of ferrets!" Richard blurted out.

Arthur chuckled. "We get that a lot actually..."

Denny sighed, she was a little bored with talking.

Nicole saw this and overheard her own children playing and she smiled. "Listen, why doesn't Denny go to our backyard while we talk and help you unpack? I'm sure my children would love to meet her."

"You have kids?" Denny asked, excitedly.

"Uh-huh, Gumball, Darwin, and Anais, why don't you go see them?" Nicole suggested.

"Go ahead, hon..." Arthur encouraged his daughter to be social in their new environment.

Denny smiled and raced to the Watterson backyard.

Nicole chuckled. "Ah, kids... Hopefully Gumball won't give her too much trouble."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Gumball is a troublemaker?"

"Oh, yes, but he's harmless compared to others, I'm sure Anais will keep things under control." Nicole shrugged with a smile. "Now, Arthur, let's get you settled..."

"It's time to play..." a goldfish with green sneakers said.

"DODGE OR DARE!" a blue cat boy with a sweater and jeans finished.

There was a pink bunny girl in an orange dress who looked disinterested as she was reading a book.

"Roll the dice!" the goldfish and cat said together. "Pick a-"

The goldfish looked distracted.

The blue cat looked at him. "Are you okay, buddy?"

"A rat!" the goldfish cried, making the blue cat turn and look at Denny.

The blue cat screamed in response.

Denny blinked. Was this some kind of game? "Umm... Hi..." she said softly, coming forward toward them.

The cat and fish blinked to her.

"It talked..." the cat whispered.

"We can't trust a rat..." the goldfish whispered back.

"Hey, I'm not a rat," Denny spoke up, which got the pink rabbit's attention. "Let's start this over... I'm Denny, I'm new in town."

The cat and fish blinked, so did the pink bunny now with them. Denny could see that the cat and bunny were obviously Richard and Nicole's children. Was the goldfish maybe adopted?

"Nice to meet you," the blue cat decided to be friendly. "We're the Wattersons."

'Is she a mouse or a chipmunk or what?' the pink bunny thought to herself.

"What are your names?" Denny asked with a smile.

"My name's Gumball," the blue cat introduced. "And this is Darwin..."

"Hello!" the goldfish waved.

"And this is Anais." Gumball gestured to the pink bunny.

Anais blinked, but smiled. "Greetings and salutations to the neighborhood."

Denny smiled. "Quite an impressive vocabulary you got there, kiddo."

"I'm four, but I'm a child genius," Anais kind of boasted. "Where are you gonna go to school?"

"Elmore Junior High."

"Great, we'll be there!" Gumball beamed. "It'll be awesome, we'll show you all our friends!"

"And enemies, like Tina, Jamie, or Miss Simian." Darwin whispered.

"Cool!" Denny sounded excited.

"Denny, come back, it's time to get your room together!" Arthur called.

"Aw... Okay..." Denny groaned, then turned to her new friends. "Well, see you guys later... At least we live next door to each other!"

"Bye, Denny!" Gumball, Darwin, and Anais waved to her as Nicole and Richard returned.

Darwin looked over to his brother and sister. "Is she a monkey?"

"No, Darwin, she's obviously a beaver." Anais retorted.

"I thought she was some kind of coyote," Gumball shrugged. "Oh, well... We have plenty of time to find out whatever she is..."

That night, Denny was having dinner with her father.

"So, Denny, do you think you'll enjoy Elmore?" Arthur asked his daughter.

"Yeah, Dad, I think it's gonna be just fine." Denny smiled as she ate her cheese based dinner.

Denny just wondered what sort of amazing adventures she would have in this town called Elmore.


	2. The Pressure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's The Pressure. I know it's short and doesn't add too much, but I wanted Denny to interact with the Gumball cast a little before she would go to Elmore Junior High. She should be in school by the next chapter, let me know what ya think and Read & Review!

Denny was raking leaves in her home's yard. As she did, she heard some giggling and saw some girls who appeared to be about her age. There was a black dinosaur girl, an antlered peanut, and a ghost girl. 

"Hey, why don't you ask her to join us?" the antlered peanut spotted Denny and looked right to her.

The ghost and dinosaur went to her sides, looking at the gerbil.

"What is she?" the ghost wondered.

"She looks like a muskrat." the dinosaur girl shrugged.

Denny looked back. "Um... Hello... I'm Denny..."

The antlered peanut giggled, coming closer. "That's funny, my name's Penny." 

Denny giggled. "Our names rhyme... I love rhymes..."

"My name is Carrie," the ghost told the rodent girl. "You must be new in town... We haven't seen you in school."

"You do go to school, right?" the dinosaur asked.

"Yeah, but I don't start until next week," Denny informed them. "Nice to meet you all. Penny, Carrie, and..."

"Molly," the dinosaur gave her name. "Molly Collins."

"Still nice to meet you," Denny smiled.

"Oh, I see you live next door to Gumball," Penny looked interested. "Is it fun having him as a neighbor?"

"So far so good, I've met Darwin and his sister too, but not in school yet, do you guys go to Elmore Junior High too?" Denny hoped her question would be answered truthfully.

"Yeah, we'll see you there I guess," Molly smiled. "Would you like to come to my treehouse?"

Denny looked nervous. "I dunno... I'm kinda bad with heights..."

"Oh, we'll help you," Penny offered. "Come on, you look like you need some fresh air..."

"Uh, okay, just a second," Denny told them, then ran to the backyard door, opening the screen door. "Daddy, I'm going out with some friends!"

"Okay, Denny, be back in time for dinner!" Arthur called from inside.

Denny beamed, then went on the sidewalk with the other girls, then walked with them. 

"You could be a cheerleader, Denny," Penny told the gerbil. "It's really fun!"

"Yeah, it really is!" Molly added.

Carrie seemed to not care over that topic.

"I dunno... I took ballet lessons when I was really little though," Denny shrugged. "I'm a little clumsy though..." 

"Aw, it'll be okay..." Penny assured her.

Denny shrugged, then looked way up at the treehouse once they got to the Collins' backyard. "Whoa... It's as tall as my dad..."

"Come on, then!" Molly climbed up the step ladder.

Carrie simply floated up to the house since she was a ghost.

"Uhh..." Denny looked nervous. "You go on ahead, Penny... I'll catch up..."

Penny took her hand. "Here, let me help you climb..."

Denny was very scared and nervous. She gently squeezed Penny's hand and slowly climbed up with her. Denny felt her heart race as they went up and she gasped as soon as they could sit down. 

"This isn't too bad I guess..." Denny hugged her legs. 

"Denny, do you mind me asking, but... What are you?" Carrie asked.

Denny looked to her. "I'm sorry?"

"What are you?" Carrie repeated her question. "Like... Are you a mouse? A chipmunk? A squirrel, what?"

"I'm a gerbil," Denny replied. "I get confused for other animals all the time... So, Carrie, you're a ghost?"

"Yeah," Carrie smiled with her eyes shut. "Don't cross me though, or else I'll haunt your nightmares..."

Denny and Carrie shared a friendly laugh together.

"I mean it..." Carrie then said sharply, her eyes slightly narrowed.

Denny nodded quickly. "Right then."

"Well, I'm a peanut." Penny gave her species name.

"And I'm a dinosaur, don't worry though, I'm nothing like Tina." Molly smiled.

"Who's Tina?" Denny asked, she kept hearing that name, but never had the chance of meeting this one they call Tina.

"She's another dinosaur at school," Penny said softly. "She's a bully who lives in the Junkyard. She mostly beats up and eats people."

"Whoa, thanks for the tip..." Denny would know now to avoid Tina at all possible once she would be enrolled in school.

Soon enough, there came a flower child with a pot, a paper cut-out bear girl, a cactus girl, and a cloud girl. Penny introduced them all to Denny and Denny back to them. Denny smiled as she made new friends she found out were named Leslie, Teri, Carmen, and Masami. She was advised to be careful with Masami too since she was a spoiled girl since her father owned the Rainbow Factory that Gumball's mother worked in. Molly was telling the girls this treehouse was new and her family had just set it up over the weekend.

"So what do you think of my treehouse, girls?" Molly asked.

Denny reacted with excitement with the other clamoring girls. 

Masami sighed. "Boring... You think being in a treehouse is all that? It's just as boring as a REAL house!" she floated over to the dinosaur girl. "I mean, what is it you actually do in here, Molly?"

Molly looked nervous at the cloud girl. "Oh... I just like to sit up here and watch the boys..."

The girls looked out the large window to see Gumball with Darwin and a boy Denny found out was named Tobias and a banana boy named Joe. Denny winced once she saw Gumball skate, but slam against Denny's father's van and knock himself out in the middle of the sidewalk. 

"You don't watch boys, you kiss them..." Masami told the girls, then saw they looked a little shocked. "Hold on... Don't tell me you all don't have boyfriends!"

"Well, I don't..." Denny spoke up. "My father says I'm too young to date anyway."

Masami huffed to her, then looked to Molly. "You have one, don't you, Molly?"

"Well... Yeah... S-Sure I do... You never met him, he's way older... He..." Molly got nervous, then blurted out. "He's in High School!"

The others girls were surprised suddenly. 

"Well, my boyfriend is so old he doesn't need a babysitter." Teri bragged.

"Well, mine's so old, he's stopped wearing braces!" Carmen added.

"Mine's so old, he doesn't have any teeth." Carrie smirked, then got odd stares.

Denny looked at all of them, she thought for sure they were just making this stuff up.

Penny sighed and stared out the window. "I wish I had a boyfriend..."

"Maybe someday we both could..." Denny shrugged with a smile. "Do you have your eye on anyone yet?"

Penny smiled. "Gumball... I've loved him since I first met him, but... I don't know if he likes me back."

"Have you asked him?"

"I'm just afraid of rejection... Boys can be so unpredictable."

"That's true... I'm sure if you tell Gumball though, it'll make you feel better... You never know."

Penny smiled at her new best friend.

"So, Masami," Denny looked over to the cloud. "You never told us... Who's YOUR boyfriend?" 

Masami blinked, then stammered a bit about her boyfriend after grilling Molly about not having one, she then looked out the window and looked at the first boy she saw. "DARWIN!"

"Darwin?" Denny sounded very dubious.

"Yeah..." Masami smiled. "You know... Cuz he's got legs... And a body..." 

"Ooookay then..." Carrie even thought that sounded fishy, no pun intended.

"What about you, Denny?" Penny asked the gerbil. "Do you have a boyfriend."

Denny sighed with an apologetic smile. "My father says I'm too young to have a boyfriend... I have to wait until I'm at least 16."

"Oh, no need to be jealous, Denny," Masami hovered to her with a smirk. "I'll still be your friend even if I got a boyfriend now like the others.... You and Penny are just single."

"I hope not for long..." Penny whispered as she looked out the window, seeing Gumball.

"Don't worry, Penny, I'm sure he'll tell you soon..." Denny whispered, having known that Gumball did in fact like Penny, but the peanut girl wanted to tell him for herself, so Denny decided to wait until that moment would come true.

Penny smiled gently to Denny in admiration. Denny was at home, doing chores for her father. She decided to keep herself busy until she would be accepted into Elmore Junior High. It wouldn't be long now. Then she could go to her favorite place in the world that was school, plus she would be able to hang out with Gumball, Darwin, and Anais more. She hoped the treehouse girls were doing okay, even if Masami was obviously lying about Darwin being her boyfriend.


	3. The First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Denny's first day of school, let me know how it is, read & review and umm... You can be Denny's lab partner in science class?

Denny was sleeping in her bed, she was told what happened at the tree-house from Penny that Gumball and Darwin accidentally kissed, but the boys thought they had kissed Penny and Masami. It was really awkward, but the girls decided not to tell the boys and ruin the moment for them, despite how weird it was. 

"Denny, honey..." Arthur whispered once he appeared at the door frame. "Wake up... You sleep okay, honey bunches?"

"Uh-huh..." Denny nodded with a sleepy smile. "What're you doing in here, Daddy?"

"We have to get to Elmore Junior High," Arthur told her with a smile as he adjusted his tie, to look his best and make a good first impression with Principal Brown and Miss Simian. "It's your first day of school."

"Oh, yeah!" Denny beamed, she removed her blankets and sheets to reveal she was wearing her best clothes which was what she wore every day, a collared cream-colored shirt with a blue skirt, white knee socks, and Mary Jane shoes, though her hair and tail were a bit messy. "Oops..." she giggled sheepishly once she saw her hair.

"I'll get that," Arthur chuckled, then took out a hair brush and did his daughter's hair. "I'm so proud of you, my big girl in junior high... It feels like just yesterday your mother and I were taking you home from the hospital..."

"Daddy..." Denny blushed a little as she straightened out her tail and put the ribbon in it to look cute.

"It's true... Sometimes I wish she were here today," Arthur sighed. "I hope you have a good day with your little friends, dear."

"I hope so too, Daddy..." 

"Now, listen, Principal Brown will have to show you around by himself today... I promised Mrs. Watterson I'd meet her at the Rainbow Factory as early as possible... Can you promise me you'll be on your best behavior today, dear?"

"Yes, Daddy," Denny nodded again as she kept looking down while he did her hair. "Have a good day at the factory too."

"Thanks, honey," Arthur smiled and hugged Denny once he finished. "You're a brilliant girl and I know you'll make me proud."

Denny smiled bashfully to her father.

After making a homemade lunch and sorting out school supplies into a backpack, Arthur took Denny to the car and drove her to school, remembering the instructions Nicole gave him while the kids were playing around together. Denny stared out the window as she saw the various people of the town of Elmore. She wondered who she would befriend or know, the whole world was just waiting for her outside the door. After what felt like a rather long time of driving, Arthur finally pulled up into the school parking lot and came out of the car with his youngest child.

"Would you like me to hold your hand?" Arthur asked anxiously. "I-I can still do that for you, you know..."

"No thanks, Dad... I'll be fine." Denny smiled apologetically.

"Okay..." Arthur heaved a sharp sigh. "I just can't believe you're in junior high school now... I mean, someday I'll be walking you down the aisle of your wedding."

"Oh, Dad, I might not get married..." Denny rolled her eyes as she followed him down the sidewalk, then get up the steps of the school and walk inside. 

"That's what your grandmother said about your mother and I," Arthur said once they got through the front doors and walked down the hallways to find Principal Brown. "Okay, bad example... Your mother and I might not be married anymore, but we still like each other... Just not in a romantic sense anymore..."

"Dad, don't complicate things..." Denny sighed. She saw the various fellow students of her new school together and whispering. Were they whispering about her? She had to wonder.

A fuzzy brown man creature with round glasses slithered out of his office, then looked to the two gerbils. "Ah, you must be Arthur and Denise Bonchaz... Come inside, please..."

"Remember, Principal Brown, I can't stay here long, I have a meeting with my new job." Arthur said to him as they walked inside.

"Yes, yes, I'll try to make this as brief as possible," Brown told the father, walking with them inside, then sitting behind his desk while Denny and Arthur would sit in a couple of chairs in front of him. "Welcome to our school, Denise."

"Um, thank you, sir..." Denny rubbed her arm nervously.

"Now, now, there's no need to be nervous," Brown attempted to calm her down. "I know this might be different than your old school, but it'll be fine, I promise..." he gently patted her on the head.

"Actually, Principal Brown, Denny was home-schooled until we moved here," Arthur corrected. "I used to educate her while my wife would go to work, but since Zelda isn't home anymore, I thought it'd be good if she were public schooled."

"Interesting choice, Mr. Bonchaz," Brown gave a nod. "Now, Denise, I trust you'll follow the rules of Elmore Junior High. Stay out of trouble and don't make me give you detention."

Denny gulped at the word. "Detention?"

"Yes, it's a punishment I don't like giving out..."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Principal Brown, Denny almost never causes trouble." Arthur smiled.

Denny bit her lip. "Except for that petting zoo incident when I let all the animals free because I thought zoos were animal prisons..."

Arthur looked nervous and chuckled sheepishly in front of the school principal.

"I see..." Brown nodded. "Mr. Bonchaz, why don't you run off to your new job then, hmm? I'll take it from here."

Arthur nodded. "Take care of her, Principal Brown."

"Oh, I will, Mr. Bonchaz."

"Good luck, Daddy." Denny gave her father a lucky thumbs' up for his new job at the Rainbow Factory with Gumball's mom.

"Now, come with me, Miss Bonchaz," Principal Brown stood up, then came to the girl's side. "Let's get your cute little mouse self to a proper classroom..."

"Sir, I'm a gerbil..." 

"Are you talking back?"

"N-No, sir!"

"Right... Now, follow me..."

Denny gulped, but she did as told, following the slithering Principal Brown out the office door. After Brown locked his office door, he led the way to a classroom. Denny looked around the school, very curious. Principal Brown knocked on the door and a dark-colored rather scary looking monkey with a pink and white spotted dress came to the door, she looked rather miserable and aged.

"Ah, Miss Simian," Principal Brown greeted the teacher. "This is your newest student, Denise Bonchaz."

"I see..." Miss Simian spoke, having a very squeaky tone of voice, even squeakier than Denny's. "Are you a troublemaker?"

"N-No, m-m-ma'am!" Denny shook her head, very scared and overwhelmed without her father there to help back her up. 

"You fear me..." Miss Simian noted, then grinned wickedly. "I like that..."

"I'll let you take it from here, Miss Simian." Principal Brown seemed to smile.

"See you later then..." Miss Simian smiled to him, then got Denny into her classroom, then walked in and made the class stop talking so she could introduce them to Denny.

"Awesome, Denny's in our class!" Gumball cheered.

"YEAH!" Darwin also cheered. "Now we can hang out way more often!"

"SIT DOWN BOTH OF YOU!" Miss Simian shrieked, making them go to their desks. "Now, Fenny..."

"Denny..."

"Kenny," Miss Simian still got it wrong. "Is there something you'd like to tell us about yourself?"

"Umm... Well... I'm kinda nervous..." Denny put her hands behind her back, shuffling her foot into the floor. "I never really been to a public school before... I'm hoping we can all be friends... Gumball and Darwin are my neighbors..."

"Guys, this girl is awesome, she's a beaver!" Gumball smiled to the class.

"I'm a gerbil..." Denny reminded him.

"That's interesting... Now, Lenny, go sit over there..." Miss Simian pointed to an empty desk.

Denny shrugged and she walked over and looked up a bit nervous. She was sitting in a chair right in front of the student known as Tina Rex, one of the school bullies. The other bully called Jamie and Tina smirked to her.

"You better watch your back, kangaroo," Jamie grinned darkly. "Cuz if you're not too careful, it's gonna have a fist in it..."

"Or you'll become my lunch..." Tina added in a deep and menacing voice.

Denny gulped and sunk in her seat, slightly shivering. This was going to be a first day of school that she would never forget.


	4. The Mystery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is The Mystery which was my first episode of Gumball, so I thought it'd be appropriate to have it as Denny's first day of school. What should be next? Just read & review!

Denny was helped around the school by the help of Gumball and Darwin, also introduced to her new classmates and future new friends. She grew not so nervous and now confident enough to carry on her first day in Elmore Junior High. 

"So, Denny, you think you like it here?" Darwin asked as they walked down the hall to find their friend's new locker.

"I guess so, it's a lot more social than home school." Denny said with a sheepish smile.

"I don't understand why you'd not wanna be in home school anymore," Gumball said to her. "I mean, I'd give anything to stay at home all day in front of the TV or eating junk food while everybody else has to go to school all day!"

"It's a lot more different than you think..." Denny insisted as they walked, she then saw her new locker and looked at the one she was assigned on the paper with the three digit combination. "Ah, here we are."

"Right next to the cafeteria, lucky you I guess." Gumball chuckled.

"Yeah..." Denny giggled a little, she dialed the combination, then suddenly something wrapped up in toilet paper fell down to the floor suddenly that was in her locker, frightening the three of them and it caused the other students to gather around. "Whoa..."

"Denny, what is that thing?" Gumball asked.

"I-I dunno!" Denny shrugged. "I don't think things are supposed to fall out of lockers like that! Guys, are lockers supposed to have these things inside of them?"

"Not really, Denny," Alan the balloon replied. "It looks like a rancid burrito."

"It smells like manure!" Leslie the flower cringed in disgust.

"I think it just moved!" Gumball whimpered, he was scared of this thing, whatever it was.

"Somebody do something!" Penny cried out.

Tobias took out a stick and poked the object. However, this somehow got Miss Simian's attention and she came right over.

"What's going on here!? What are you poking!?" Miss Simian glared at them, then saw what they saw, deciding to examine the disgusting display. "It looks like a wet diaper!" she cringed before opening it up and seeing a pair of glasses and a familiar face, making her gasp. "Nigel!"

"IT'S PRINCIPAL BROWN!" the students gasped.

"Oh, my sweet Nigel," Miss Simian was cradling the fallen principal. "Who would shave you, paint you, wrap you in toilet paper and shut you in the new student's locker?" she glared at the students then. "Who did this...?"

The students blinked, they weren't sure. Denny knew for one thing that it wasn't her, even if she didn't know who exactly did it. Hopefully this wouldn't ruin her first attempt of being publicly educated like anyone else.

"WHO DID THIS!?" Miss Simian screeched again, she got tired of not having an answer. "I want everyone in class NOW!"

Denny gulped and ran with the others to return to their classroom. For some reason, even Rocky, the school janitor and the Robinsons' 20ish-year-old son was forced to come into the classroom despite not being a student. 

Miss Simian took Principal Brown as she passed the classroom door, looking angered with the students. "I'm taking Principal Brown to the nurse's office, and if the culprit isn't found by the time I get back, you're all in detention!" she then slammed the door on them, walking off with the principal of their school.

Denny watched her leave, she had a suspicious eye on the robot student known as Bobert who was standing at the top of the stairs.

"So, what do you guys think happened to Principal Brown?" Gumball asked his fellow students.

"Well, I saw him at the end of school, so it must've happened after that." Sussie replied, having a sheepish smile.

"So, who stayed after school yesterday?" Tobias asked.

"I was doing cheerleader stuff!" Penny explained, showing her pom-poms.

"I was cleaning late." Rocky added.

"I had detention." Gumball stated.

"I can't remember." Darwin smiled goofily.

"So, you're all suspects." Carmen the cactus concluded.

"Oh, come on, it was obviously that new girl!" Banana Joe pointed to the gerbil.

"Yeah, Brown was found in her locker." Tobias added.

Everyone looked angrily toward her.

"Guys, I just transferred to this school!" Denny squeaked. "I couldn't have possibly done it!"

Gumball looked to her, then realized something. "Guys, she's right... She couldn't have done it. But, I'm gonna find out who did! And I think I know how... Whoever did it, raise your hand!"

Nobody raised their hand to that.

"Okay... Whoever didn't do it, raise your hand." Gumball then said.

Everyone raised their hands. Except for Alan for obvious reasons. This made everybody look at him.

"What?" Alan squeaked once all eyes were on him.

"Aha, so you did it!" Gumball called him out.

Alan bumped him in the head. "Dude, I don't have any hands!"

Denny observed closely. "Yeah... He doesn't... Did you do it though?"

"Of course not, I wouldn't dare think of doing such a thing!" 

"Darn, he's good..." Gumball grumbled.

"Gumball, if you wanna be detective, you should look for clues." Denny said to the blue cat.

"Hmm... Clues..." Gumball wandered around the classroom, then looked to Penny. "Like those paint splatters all over your pom-poms!"

Denny shined her flashlight to Penny, showing there was dripping green paint on her pom-poms. "I thought we were best friends for life now, PENNY!"

"We are, I can explain!" Penny gasped.

"There's only one explanation, it was a crime of passion!" Gumball exclaimed.

"What do you mean?"

"You knew Principal Brown put me in detention last night and you knew Denny was going to be the new student here and overwhelmed by your feelings for me, you confronted him in his office after you noticed Denny became my friend who is also a girl..." Gumball started to narrate, imitating Penny and Principal Brown's voices to flow with his story telling. "'Please, let him go, Principal Brown and you shouldn't let a new student come between us'! 'He's nothing but a rogue!' 'But he's noble and strong and brave and handsome! So handsome... He might the best looking guy on the whole school!'"

"Gumball?" Leslie interrupted him as the flower held up an open page of the school yearbook. "Have you seen your yearbook photo?"

Denny took a look at it and recoiled in slight horror due to Gumball's awkward face in the photo.

"No interruptions, please," Gumball said to the flower before continuing, then got to how the crime happened. "It was then that you pom-pom him unconscious, shaved off his hair in punishment, covered him in paint to humiliate him, wrapped him in toilet paper to keep him quiet, and stuffed him in Denny's locker so I wouldn't fall in love with her in a cliche fan fiction story fashion as proof of your deranged obsession with me... It was you!"

Penny gasped while Denny rolled her eyes, folding her arms. Yes, the gerbil did like Gumball, but she wasn't in love with him. 

"But I forgive you because I'm madly in love with you too." Gumball said as he held Penny's hands.

"Yeah, well, that's not quite what happened," Penny said to him to explain to everyone. "I finally finished my painting at the cheerleaders, and I went to hang it in the stairwell. I guess it was still wet, and I must have got paint on my pom-poms."

"And did anyone see you supposedly hang this alleged painting in this 'so-called' stairwell?" Gumball accused. 

"Yeah, YOU did," Penny told him. "Remember?" 

Gumball chuckled nervously. "Oh, yeah..."

"I like you, Gumball, but only as a friend... Like a brother or a cousin," Denny said to the cat, then winked to Penny. "Besides, I'm sure someone loves you very much anyway."

Penny winked back, she was glad she could trust Denny with the secret.

"So if Penny didn't do it, who did?" Alan asked.

"Hmm... It must've been you!" Gumball pointed.

Denny shined her flashlight on him for dramatic effect.

"I said it was him!" Gumball looked to her, pointing more distant.

"Oh, sorry..." Denny said, then moved closer and her light got on Rocky, shocking everyone. 

"Why me?" Rocky whimpered.

"Well," Gumball started to make up another story. "Yesterday, you were wandering around when suddenly, at the age of 27, you've realized your youth was behind you. Then all your hair fell out. When you saw Principal Brown's lustrous hairy coat, you were overcome with jealousy. And acting on impulse, you attacked him. You frantically plucked out all of his hair, dyed it the right color, and used it to cover your balding shame. And planning to mislead any investigation, you painted Principal Brown, wrapped him in toilet paper, and stuffed him into my locker, the perfect crime, saying for one thing!"

"Huh?" Rocky blinked in confusion.

"When you stuffed the new hair on your body, there wasn't quite enough, which explains THIS BALD SPOT ON YOUR HAND!" Gumball finished, rising Rocky's hand to show a spot without fur on it, making the students worried.

"Rocky, how could you?" Denny asked, even if she didn't know this man very well, he seemed very nice and like one of the kids.

"Dude, you've got it all wrong. I got this bald spot when I was cleaning yesterday! You see, I spill some really strong chemicals on my hand, and it burnt off the hair! See?" Rocky explained, then poured the chemicals on his hand, burning more hair off and making him scream.

"If that's the case, how come I can just pull your hair right off?" Gumball smirked, attempting to do so, but the hair wouldn't get off that easily.

Denny pulled him back to stop him. "It wasn't Rocky, Gumball..."

"Who could it be?" Darwin wiped his forehead. "All this suspense is making me sweaty!"

"Oh, here, let me get that for you," Denny smiled to him, removing the toilet paper from his shoe, then wiped his forehead. "Better?"

Darwin nodded. "Thanks, Denny."

"WAIT, DENNY!" Gumball suddenly yelled, startling the gerbil.

"Gumball, don't do that..." Denny shook a little scaredly.

"I'm sorry, Denny, but..." Gumball sniffled as he looked like he was about to cry. "I can't believe I'm gonna say this to my best fish buddy, but..." he pointed to the goldfish darkly and sadly. "IT WAS YOU!"

"Yes, yes, I did it, I'm a monster!" Darwin broke down. "A monster! Just lock me up, I'm a menace to society! Take me away!"

"But Darwin couldn't have done it!" Carmen called out.

Denny looked to her new classmates. "How do you mean?"

"We all saw him on the bus when we went home." Leslie explained.

"Then how do you explain the toilet paper?" Darwin asked them.

"You had it on your feet all day, dude, didn't you notice?" Tobias asked with a laugh. 

Darwin tried to think back, then looked back to them. "Nope! Don't remember any toilet paper!"

Denny sighed, rubbing her head. "This is getting us nowhere..."

"So it wasn't Penny, it wasn't Rocky, and it wasn't Darwin. Which leaves us with only one suspect," Gumball organized. "The only person who knew the combination to the locker Principal Brown was founded. You!"

Everyone gasped and looked to Denny.

"But it wasn't me, honest!" Denny cried out. "Why won't you guys believe me!?"

"That's all the proof I need," Miss Simian came behind the gerbil. "You're coming with me, Miss Bonchaz... And all this time I thought it was Watterson!"

"Miss Simian, I would never do such a thing!" Denny got down on her knees, shaking her hands together. "You have to believe me!"

"Come here, Miss Bonchaz!" Miss Simian tried to capture the gerbil girl.

"NO!" Denny cried and ran away from her.

Miss Simian growled, then looked to the class. "No homework for the one who catches her!"

The students ran out of the classroom to get Denny.

"Denny, wait, no, it's a trap!" Gumball cried. 

Denny screamed and kept running, then hit against something hard and metallic. "Ow..." she rubbed her head, then looked to see the robot student still knocked out. "Aw, are you turned off, Bobert?" she asked, then clicked him on.

Bobert whirred and started up. 'Who are you?'

"My name's Denny, I just started school here, everyone thinks I put Principal Brown in my new locker!"

'It wasn't you, Denny...'

Denny looked to him. "How do you know?"

'I saw everything...'

"Do you have it recorded?"

'Yes, I do.'

"Guys, wait!" Denny called once everyone came for her to get her into trouble. "Bobert saw everything and he's gonna show us!"

"Really?" Gumball asked.

'Yes... No problem,' Bobert hit a button to play back what happened. 'First, Penny hung her hideous painting on the wall.'

"Hey!" Penny called out.

'Then, Gumball turned up, looking love-struck as usual.' Bobert continued.

"Hey!" Gumball called out.

'Next, Darwin walked down the stairs, trailing toilet paper like a nincompoop.'

"What's a nincompoop?" Darwin asked.

"Somebody like you." Gumball whispered to him.

"Hey!" Darwin then yelled.

"Gumball..." Denny slightly growled.

'Then, Rocky dropped a bottle of chemicals on the floor, looking quite bold,' Bobert continued. 'Then finally came Principal Brown after doing the paperwork for Denny to be registered for the school, who's office door suddenly flew open, making him disoriented and dizzy. He fell down the stairs, rolling himself in Darwin's toilet paper, smashed into Penny's artwork, covering his face in paint, fell back into Rocky's chemicals, burning off his hair, then down more stairs, wrapping himself into even more toilet paper, and finally into Denny's new locker.'

"But why didn't you say something before?" Penny asked.

'Because it was so funny, I blew a fuse.' Bobert explained before laughing robotically and blowing a fuse again.

"That makes sense now," Denny said as she turned him back on. "So, do you know who opened Principal Brown's door?"

'Indeed I do, I will rewind the tape.' Bobert told her, starting from the beginning, but the figure was still blurry to distinguish it from someone else.

"Stop there!" Gumball instructed. "Now forward slowly. Freeze! There. Zoom in 50%. Zoom in 100%. Zoom in another 100%. Enhance video."

The figure came together and it was shown to be the teacher of the class.

"It was you all along!" Gumball called her out. "We're going to tell Principal Brown!"

"And my father!" Denny added firmly.

"Tell them what?" Miss Simian asked.

"What we saw on Bobert's memory and play it for them!"

"What memory?" Miss Simian clicked a button on Bobert, erasing the video.

Denny gasped, then glared at her new teacher. "Miss Simian!"

"That's not fair!" Darwin snapped at her.

"How do you sleep at night?" Gumball growled.

"Like a baby." Miss Simian laughed and walked off until a door opened on her, making her fly out the window.

"Has anyone seen Miss Simian?" Principal Brown asked, only slightly recovered.

Denny looked out the window, making everyone look with her.

"Don't worry, Miss Simian, we just called an ambulance!" Darwin called.

An ambulance backed up, but ran over the teacher, making the students cringe. 

The final bell rang and everyone went home. Denny walked out with them and heard a familiar car horn. She smiled once she saw her father and went to sit in the back seat while he'd drive.

"Hi, honey, how was your first day of Elmore Junior High?" Arthur happily asked.

Denny blinked. "A mystery, Dad... A mystery..."

Arthur chuckled and drove them home. "That's nice, honey."


	5. The Dress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is The Dress with some twists and turns... Not sure what else to say about it, but I hope you enjoy it. If anyone has a request for the next chapter, just let me know, so Read & Review!

Denny went to get on on the bus for another day of public school. Arthur was really glad that it worked out well for her, he thought for sure that she wouldn't like it, but was glad she was bold and daring enough to try new things. He always assured her though that if she didn't like it, she could change her mind and he would take her out of school and possibly work something out with his new work schedule or maybe ask Richard if he would maybe tutor Denny. Today felt normal so far until she and a lot of the other students came to see a familiar blue cat in what appeared to be a tiny wedding dress.

"Who are you?" Tina asked.

The cat looked nervous that it had been exposed. "My name is... uhh... Gum... Ball... Oops! Uhh... Egg... Wobble... Underpants!"

Denny raised a brow. This was her friend Gumball in a wedding dress. Only, why was he wearing a wedding dress? Anais even face palmed it. Oh, yeah, that cat was Gumball, probably wearing a disguise.

"Is that a foreign name?" Penny asked with a smile.

"Yes, yes!" the cat said, seeming to be making something up. "I'm from... uhh... Europe..."

"Where in Europe?" Tina asked.

The cat stuttered as it made up a story again. "Uh... Gum... Bald... No! Um... Wig... Battle axe? Ninja!"

The students looked blank for a moment, then happily went on the school bus with their 'new friend'. 

At school, everyone went to Miss Simian's class. Denny was still curious of why Gumball was dressed like that. After Miss Simian asked them to take out their math homework, the students did as told, except for Gumball and Darwin.

"Gumball, is that you?" Denny whispered.

Gumball gasped, then tried to settle himself down. "H-How did you know?"

"Do you know any other blue cats in this school?" Denny asked with a smirk.

Gumball sighed. "Okay... Yeah, it's me... All my clothes shrunk and Dad's making me wear Mom's wedding dress... Don't tell anyone though!"

"Uhh... Okay..." Denny wasn't sure what to make of this situation. 

"Well, well, well," Miss Simian came to the cat, almost getting him into trouble, but even she seemed to be fooled by the disguise. "You're not trying to cheat, are you, Gum-- Umm... Who are you?"

Denny made a 'are you kidding me?' look on her face, seemingly to no one.

"That's GumBallOopsEgg WobbleUnderPants!" Banana Joe raised his hand high.

"From GumballNoWig, BattleAxeNinja!" Anton the toast added.

"That's in Europe." Penny finished.

"QUIET!" Miss Simian snapped as the others started to chatter. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" she then looked to Gumball in the dress and even seemed to go along with it for some reason. "But you're wearing a beautiful dress, so it must be true. Why don't you sit there and look pretty while the rest of us get on with class!?"

The class sighed as their teacher returned to the front of the room.

"What just happened?" Gumball asked himself.

Denny sighed, but paid attention to the lesson. She wanted to protest about how Miss Simian was being unfair by making everyone else work while Gumball could sit there like the 'pretty girl he was'. But if she did, it might give her a deathly consequence in being given detention and spend numerous hours after school. Her father would not like that. 

After class ended, Gumball walked down the hall with everyone since he was now popular. 

"STOP!" Banana Joe stepped in front of everyone, removing his peel and put it over a wet substance on the hallway floor. "There's a puddle, we can't let you walk through that. Let me help."

"No, let me fly you over!" Masami suggested as she flew around in the air, being a cloud and all.

"I could build you a bridge!" a student called Clayton offered, shifting himself into one.

Tina stomped him as she looked down to the cat. "No, let me carry you in my mouth..." she breathed heavily.

"Uh... I can just walk around like this..." Gumball walked around the puddle, showing that he could.

The other students went away, drawn to the 'girl's' abilities. 

"What was that all about?" Gumball was still confused.

"It's the dress." Anais came to his side suddenly.

"Yeah, they think you're a beautiful girl and people would do anything for a beautiful girl," Denny explained. "People do stuff for my big sisters all the time!"

"Guys, are you sure?" Gumball asked, curious.

"I have four older sisters," Denny folded her arms with a smirk. "I think I know things about girls and charm..."

Gumball blinked and grinned. He was totally going to take advantage of this. He then went off with his new posse.

"So, you know he's not a girl either, huh?" Anais asked.

"Yeah," Denny shrugged. "I thought it was either him or your mom shrunk in size. Plus Darwin acts funny around him."

"Funny how?"

"Well... I noticed that Darwin drew Gumball like a French girl in his notebook... Plus he says he's in love..."

Anais sighed, shaking her head. "That boy..."

"So, you go to school here too?" Denny asked, never seeing the pink bunny girl around the school before. "Why haven't I seen you?"

"I go to the Junior Kindergarten class," Anais explained with a smile. "You should really stop by sometime."

"I would like that, Anais." Denny smiled.

Anais smiled back, she really looked up to Denny like the big sister she never had. They decided to spend some time together in the library. 

"So, how's school working out for you, Denny?" Anais asked as she turned another page in her advanced for her age book.

"It's okay, a lot more people and more to learn."

"Why were you home-schooled?"

"Oh, my father was just worried I might get bullied or somethin'," Denny shrugged while rubbing her arm. "My brothers and sisters went to public school, but they turned out okay."

"Where are they now?"

"In college far away in our old hometown... I'm supposed to see them at Christmas though."

Anais smiled. "I wouldn't mind going to college..."

"No offense, Anais, but I think you should wait until you're a little older," Denny shrugged. "You're only a kid. You should enjoy your little life while you can."

"That's what Daisy the Donkey says." Anais said with a chipper smile.

"Oh, Daisy the Donkey, huh?" Denny smiled back. "Is she a friend in your class?"

Anais pulled a face. "Daisy's a popular TV show for little kids... You know, Daisy the Donkey and Sally the Snake?"

"Oh..." Denny gave a slight nod. "I didn't have a TV growing up."

"Oh, Denny, you must watch Daisy, she might be a great role model for you!"

"Okay, if Gumball and Darwin want guy time, I'll watch Daisy with you." Denny compromised.

"Deal." Anais shook her hand with Denny's.

Darwin came to the girls. "Uhh... Hey, guys..."

"Hey." Denny said.

"Hi, Darwin," Anais greeted. "You got a test to study for?" 

"Actually, I was wondering if you could give this to that girl in the dress," Darwin took out a paper, putting it on their table. "Either one of you can do it... Just make sure she gets it, okay?"

"Uhh... Sure... We'll give it to 'her' if we happen to see 'her'..." Denny said, keeping the paper.

"Okay, thanks, you're the best!" Darwin chuckled, feeling nervous as a school boy and went off.

Denny looked back at the younger girl. "Should we have told him?"

Anais sighed. "I don't wanna ruin it for him... I always thought Darwin would go for you in a cliche fashion, but not as much if Gumball did, but we just better let him be happy."

"Ye--Wait, what?" Denny glanced at her.

"Nuthin'." Anais said rather quickly.

Denny glanced to her suspiciously.

After school, Denny and Anais gave the note to Gumball about going to a ride called the Stomach Destroyer. They tried to tell him that Darwin thought he was a girl, but he wouldn't listen. Since Denny was here, Anais decided to show Denny some Daisy the Donkey. Denny watched, it was indeed childish and cartoonish for her, but she actually enjoyed it and she didn't care what anyone else would think. 

"So, how was that?" Anais asked.

"I feel like everything I know is a lie..." Denny sighed as she played with her tail. "So, Daisy's the donkey?"

"Uh-huh," Anais nodded. "I wish I had my own doll of her..." 

"You don't?" Denny sounded surprised.

"Mom says I have to wait for my birthday," Anais sighed. "That's like forever from now!"

"Hmm..." Denny hummed in thought. 

When Gumball came home, Denny decided to get herself home to do some of her homework. Arthur came home with take-out for their dinner. They did the usual greeting about how school was and everything. 

"And Gumball came to school wearing a dress..." Denny said about the kicker of today's shenanigans.

Arthur's face turned bright red and he chuckled sheepishly. "W-Well, Denny... Dear... If your friend wants to wear a dress, I accept this..." he smiled to her as he poured some juice for her to go with their dinner of Chinese leftovers. "I just wonder how it'll be explained to his father..."

"His dad did it to him, Daddy..." Denny said then.

"Oh... Umm... I'm gonna have a word with Mr. Watterson after dinner, sweetie..." Arthur gently patted his daughter on the head.

Denny shrugged and kept eating.

The next day at the bus stop, Anais contacted the whole class to say goodbye to their 'new friend'. Denny was invited along as well, Anais was just annoyed that everyone else was blind about Gumball being in a dress. Once Denny arrived, Gumball looked to the class and decided to tell them the 'news'.

"Hi, everyone," Gumball greeted nervously. "This is quite difficult for me to say, but what I'm trying to say is... is... I'm leaving."

The class gasped in shock. Denny then tried to do it, but it didn't sound very convincing. Thankfully, no one noticed.

"But, why?" Penny sounded heartbroken.

"Because the king of Europe has been kidnapped... And they need my help... 'Cuz I'm so beautiful...?" Gumball made up.

Everyone bought this. 

"Oh, woe, my fallen friend, I shall miss you!" Denny continued to try to act and hugged Gumball, then whispered to him. "Get on the bus before you mess this up."

"Thank you for coming..." Gumball whispered back to her, then smirked. "Hug, huh? You know I like Penny, right?"

Denny got off him, glancing to him. "Just get on the bus..."

"Have you got the balloon?" Anais asked her brother quietly.

"Check!" Gumball took the balloon out with another dress and had his face scribbled on it which would be enough to trick the others. "This is a great idea, staging a grand farewell for the Darling of Elmore High!" he struck a pose.

"Remember, this isn't about you." Denny reminded.

"Hey, everybody!" Darwin's voice chimed.

"Oh, man, get outta here!" Denny pushed Gumball into the bus, smiling nervously.

"This plan already reeks of failure." Anais murmured.

Denny sighed, she felt bad, especially with Darwin mostly sputtering out sentences with 'new girlfriend'. He looked to see his true love was leaving and looked heartbroken no doubt. Denny felt so bad for him and she wished there was something she could do for the poor goldfish. Gumball and Darwin said goodbye together, but Gumball accidentally let the bus doors close on the string and the balloon went up to the sun and pop the balloon. The dress fell from the sky and landed on Denny, even the veil did.

"Oh, hi..." Darwin walked up to her with a cheeky smile. "I know we hardly know each other... But I have to know your name."

"It's me, Darwin!" Denny squeaked.

"Hello, It's-Me-Darwin," Darwin beamed. "Are you from Europe?"

Denny facepalmed with a sigh.


	6. The Party

All the kids were in the hallway, talking to Tobias. He was telling them that his parents were going out for tonight and there was a party at his place.

"Guys, guys, let me break it down for ya," Tobias got them to calm down. "You're ALL invited..." he then came to Denny's side. "Especially you, Sweet Weasel..."

"Gerbil..." Denny darted her eyes to him. "Why is that so hard for people?"

"Wow, a party, and we're all invited!" everyone cheered.

"NONE OF YOU ARE INVITED!" A slightly older girl was behind Tobias, she had light blue skin with a white shirt, yellow skirt, white boots, with puffy violet hair. 

"Who's that?" Denny asked the cat and goldfish. 

"Tobias's sister, Rachel, she goes to the high school." Gumball quietly explained. 

"My party is for young adults," Rachel told her younger brother by two years. "Not OLD BABIES!"

Tobias smirked. "Rachel, Rachel, Rachel... Wouldn't it be a shame if Mom and Dad were to find out about your 'secret party'?"

Everyone tutted the high school girl. "Rachel, Rachel, Rachel..."

Rachel felt defeated, but grinned evilly. "Alright... You can all come," she told them, making them cheer, and stopped them. "BUT! You all have to find a DATE!" she said to them, before going off with a cackle.

The students gasped, then ran off quickly. But Darwin was slower behind since he didn't know what a date was.

At lunch, Gumball, Darwin, and Denny sat togther in dismay.

"What are we gonna do, guys?" Denny moped. "I never had a boyfriend before... and I've never been invited to a party before... I'll never find a date on time!"

"Don't be such a girl, Denny." Gumball rolled his eyes slightly.

"Guys, what's a date?" Darwin asked.

"Date," the robot student known as Bobert popped up in a random corner to show off his intelligence to the small group. "D-A-T-E, the social ritual in which two come together in hopes of a relationship... It's also a fruit that makes you poop." he then disappeared.

"Uh, yeah..." Gumball blinked uneasily.

"So, there you go, Darwin, we have to find dates," Denny looked to the goldfish. "Gumball, you can ask Penny."

"Uh, Penny?" Gumball looked nervous, then looked to the girl he obviously had a crush on and hearts formed in his eyes. "I dunno... I only like her as a friend..."

"Why are your eyes shaped like hearts?" Darwin asked.

"Allergies..." Gumball said, looking back to his friends.

Denny rolled her eyes, she knew he liked Penny and knew that Penny also liked him back, but she promised to never tell until one would have the courage to open up to the other. "Okay, so not Penny... Do you have any better ideas?"

"Let's see..." Gumball scratched his chin, he made a list of girls in school to put as possible dates. "Carrie... She's full of spirit... Carmen, prickly, but smart... Teri, has nicely drawn features, but a litle flat... Sussie..."

"Not Sussie..." Even Denny was disgusted by the chinikin girl. 

"Yeah..." Gumball agreed.

A paper ball landed on their table. Gumball took it to open it up and read it. It asked if Gumball would be the peanut butter to their jelly sandwich, but he rejected it, taking it as a food offer, but said he already ate. Denny sighed, shaking her head, that was obviously a pick-up line meant for him, she had a hunch who sent it, but wasn't sure since no one looked out of the ordinary right now.

Throughout the day, Gumball had tried asking every girl in class, except for certain two of course.

"Umm... Denny?" Darwin walked up to the gerbil, rubbing his fins together as she was at her locker.

"Oh, hey Darwin." Denny greeted as she got the book she was looking for. 

"I don't really have a date either and I really wanna go to Rachel and Tobais's party," Darwin looked her in the eyes. "Umm... Would you consider going with me?"

"You wanna go with me?"

"Well, if you don't want to, I understand..."

Denny had a small smile. "Sure, I'll just ask my father to let me get my hair done and give me a dress."

"Okay!" Darwin cheered up. "Umm... I don't like you more than a friend, I just really wanna go to the party and I thought it'd be fun if we went together..."

"No, it's okay, I understand," Denny understood and allowed it to happen. "Just no using me, okay?"

"Okay... I'll pick you up, say, 7:00?"

"Sounds good... It's a date!"

Darwin smiled to her, then walked off. "I'm gonna check on Gumball now."

"Okay," Denny smiled, then suddenly as the goldfish was gone, she saw she was surrounded by the bullies of the school. "Oh, goodness..."

"You like Darwin, don't you?" Jamie taunted.

Denny sighed, looking to the held-back classmate of hers. "No, Jamie, Darwin and me are just friends... Besides, I'm too young for a boyfriend."

"Is that something your daddy told ya?" Jamie taunted. "You always do what Daddy says?"

"No!" Denny glared, feeling hurt.

"Betcha do!" Tina also taunted. "Bet you're daddy's little girl!"

Denny narrowed her eyes and walked away. 

"Yeah, you better run, you little kangaroo!" Jamie called, while she and Tina just laughed.

Denny sighed, rolling her eyes. "At least they didn't beat me up..."

Later after school, it was three hours until Darwin would pick up Denny. Arthur was a little concerned about her going to a high school party and giving lectures about how he didn't do that kind of thing when he was in school and neither did her brothers and sisters. 

"Dad, it's going to be fine," Denny said as she was in a bath robe with two different dresses, one was icy blue and the other was spring green. "Besides, I've known Darwin a long time since we came to Elmore..."

"I know, sweetheart, but if that fish lays one fin on you, it's tuna melts for lunch tomorrow!" Arthur threatened.

"Daddy, Darwin's a goldfish..."

Arthur glanced to her, then looked away. "Then it's smoked salmon for dinner!"

"Still a goldfish, Dad."

"Well... I don't want you to get hurt, Denny..." Arthur said softly to her, then pointed to the green dress. "You're my little girl and you keep me good company and I want you to become a civilized adult when you grow up."

"Daddy, I'm pretty sure when I grow up I'll marry a doctor... Or maybe a lawyer..." Denny said as she went behind a changing panel, hanging up her robe, then sliding on the green dress. "Or maybe a handsome, rich actor."

Arthur chuckled. "Your dreams are so adorable, honey... Besides, you're too young to think about things like that."

"Daddy, I'm almost 12, I'm not too young to be thinking about boys," Denny said as she came out in her dress and did some poses. "Well... How do I look?"

Arthur smiled fondly, hugging her. "Like a princess."

Denny chuckled, hugging him back. "Thanks, Daddy..."

Arthur smiled and took a quick snapshot from his camera. "All set to go. Now, you don't have to stay for the whole party. Just call the house and I'll be right over."

"Yes, Daddy..."

The doorbell then rang. Denny smiled as she slid on her dress shoes, grabbed her purse and walked to the door as she removed her towel to show her hair was styled specially and differently. 

"Wow, Denny, you look great!" Darwin cheered.

Denny giggled and blushed. "Thanks, Darwin... You look... Umm..." she looked to see that Darwin looked as he always did. "Well..."

"Ready to go?"

"Just a second," Denny turned her head. "Daddy, we're leaving!"

"Okay, sweetheart, have a good time!" Arthur called back.

Denny smiled as she followed Darwin and they went to the Watterson family car. Richard allowed them in as Gumball was with a rather horrifying date.

"You asked Tina Rex!?" Denny shrieked.

"Anais told me to!" Gumball shrugged.

"Why didn't you ask Penny?"

"I couldn't ask Penny! She's too hot... Not my type! Not my type... She's too not my type..."

Denny sighed, shaking her head. 

"I'm so proud of you," Richard nearly got choked up to the blue cat who was his son. "My baby boy is becoming a man. It seems like only yesterday we were watching 'Daisy the Donkey' together."

Gumball gave him a look. "Dad, that was yesterday."

"Well, it feels like a long time ago," Richard sniffled. "And look at you now! Dating a girl!"

Gumball, Darwin, and Denny glanced as Tina was sticking her head out the window like a dog with her tongue flapping out.

It didn't take long as they were now at the Wilson's house. They all came to the front door and Penny had arrived with the giant student of Elmore Junior High. 

Denny looked up at him, feeling a little nervous. "Oh, umm... You must be that Hector fellow..."

"Yes, I am," Hector nearly boomed in his voice to her. "You must be the new mouse in town."

Denny sighed. "I'm a gerbil."

"You look nice though..." Hector said.

Denny smiled softly to him and looked to the door until someone would come and let them in. Gumball and Penny were talking back in forth and Tina actually looked nervous for a change. Finally, someone came to the door.

Rachel looked excited at first, but then annoyed. "TOBIAS! More of your dweeb loser baby friends have arrived!" she then stormed off.

Tobias came in, sliding to see them. "Guys, guys, this party is totally off the hook!"

Denny looked confused by his use of slang, not being familiar with it. "Does that mean it's good?"

The kids walked into the Wilson's family living room and it looked very awkward and not at all like they anticipated. Bobert the robot, Anton the toast, and Banana Joe the, well, banana, were dancing while clapping their hands. Teri was pouring tea into tiny cups like at a tea party and filled Leslie's pot with some. Molly and Rob were playing catch with Alan with him as the ball. Sussie was eating potato chips with her mouth wide open.

"This is a high school party?" Gumball asked, not impressed at all at what they were seeing.

"My brothers had parties at home, but they weren't anything like this." Denny agreed with the blue cat.

"I know..." Darwin said softly, then ran off. "IT'S AWESOME! WHOO-HOO!"

Tina looked down to Gumball. "Wanna dance?"

"Uh, you go ahead, I'll join you later." Gumball shrugged.

Denny blinked. "Gumball... Uhh... I'm gonna go with Darwin now... Enjoy the party."

Gumball nodded to her, feeling stupid. Even more than usual. Denny went to watch Darwin as he played leap frog with Idaho the potato. Denny went to join them, but it made her tail and panties visible. It was better than standing around all day. 

"I'm having the time of my life!" Clayton smiled as he simply sat on the couch.

However, the party was going to get more intense than one would expect. 

Miss Simian busted the door down. "This party is busted!"

The students looked in fear of her, mostly worried that she was going to get them in trouble with their parents/guardians.

"Busted WIDE OPEN!" Miss Simian continued.

"Busted..." Principal Brown added softly.

"Now for some real music." Miss Simian smiled as she changed the cassette tape in Juke's music slot.

Juke nearly had a seizure as some harder rock music was now playing. This made everybody act a little violent and out of control with the music. 

"Hey, chipmunk!" Jamie called to Denny. "Help me throw this TV out the window!"

"Please, allow me." the TV said, jumping out itself, shattering the window.

"Oh, dear... Tobias and Rachel's parents aren't going to like this..." Denny looked fearful for their hosts.

"NO!" Rachel cried. "NOT THE TV!"

Miss Simian trampled through, nearly squishing Denny. The gerbil girl grunted as the teachers were far more out of control than the students. Denny then popped up, shaking herself as she was nearly flattened. Molly jumped through the roof, breaking it and Rachel had enough. She went outside to cry her little eyes out. Denny felt bad for the rainbow girl and decided to go comfort her.

"Hey, are you okay?" Denny asked as she straightened her tail out.

"Because this is the worst party ever!" Rachel was very sad. "I invited everybody and none of my friends turned up!"

"But, we all came," Darwin went to join the girls. "And we're your friends!"

"Uhh... Yeah." Denny agreed with a smile.

"You guys are not my friends..." Rachel glared. "YOU JUST TRASHED MY PARENTS' HOUSE!"

Banana Joe flew out the window and ran back inside, laughing like a wild hyena.

"Hey Darwin, why don't we help Rachel tidy up?" Denny suggested.

"Yeah, sure, you guys are gonna tidy all this up?" Rachel glared at the gerbil and the goldfish.

"Of course! Don't you know I'm part sucker fish?" Darwin asked as he demostrated some sucking noises.

"Thanks..." Rachel sniffled. "Who are you guys anyway?"

"I'm Denny Bonchaz, I moved here not too long ago, and this is Darwin." Denny introduced with a smile.

"That's right, Darwin Raglan Caspian Ahab Poseidon Nicodemus Watterson III." the goldfish concluded.

"Uhhh.... Yeah..." Denny blinked, never knowing that Darwin had such a long name.

Rachel giggled. "You don't seem so bad for a couple of kids."

Denny smiled. "It's settled then, after the last dance, we'll clean up for you. I always clean up a mess before I leave, no matter who's mess it is, mine or the next guy's."

"You guys make a cute couple." Rachel smirked.

"Oh, ummm... Thanks, but Darwin's just a friend." Denny replied.

Penny danced with Hector while Gumball danced with Tina. However, after Penny and Gumball talked for a moment and Penny admitted that she threw the note to Gumball at lunch back in school and that they were supposed to hook up. Once the final dance was over, Denny and Darwin lived up to their promise and started to clean up the mess for Rachel so she and Tobias wouldn't get in trouble with their parents later tonight.

"Finished!" Denny and Darwin met the others outside.

"Guys, you're the best kids ever!" Rachel cheered. "Especially you, Darwin! How come you don't have a girlfriend?"

"What do I need a girlfriend for?" Darwin looked at her.

"This." Rachel answered with a kiss to his head.

Darwin's eyes widened as he collapsed backwards. Everything was so clear to him now. Denny rolled her eyes at that, but she looked to Gumball and Penny as they were about to share a moment together. She bit her lip, excited for them, but something ruined it. Richard was honking the car horn rapidly to them, breaking the moment and making the others stare at him.

"I think your dad's here." Rachel deadpanned.

"Oh, well. Time to go... I guess," Gumball sighed, then looked to his fish sidekick. "Come on, buddy!"

"You get his head, I'll get his legs." Denny suggested.

The two did just that, going to the Watterson family car.

"Thanks for the party, Rachel, it was nice to meet you!" Denny called as she went with Gumball to the car.

"Yeah, thanks!" Gumball added. "I love you, Penny!" he then facepalmed himself. "What did I say that for!?"

Denny rolled her eyes with a smile, but took Darwin into the car with him and they were now ready to go back home.


	7. The Gift

Today was kind of a special day. Arthur and Denny were at a shopping mall, but mostly in the toy store. Denny was looking around the various toys, robots and spaceships for boys and dolls and tea sets for girls. Denny didn't like how gender stereotypical it was since she was a tomboy, but she was looking in the girls' section because she was going to buy a present for a friend.

"How about this baby?" Arthur suggested. "She wets, cries, and you feed her!"

"Uhh... Nah, nothing like that..." Denny shook her head as she kept looking for one specific doll.

"This plastic doll that comes with her own house?"

"No... Oh, here it is!" Denny smiled, she then picked up a pink donkey doll with a yellow muzzle. "This is perfect!"

"Oh... It's a bunny!" Arthur smiled.

Denny glanced back. "She's a donkey... Daisy the Donkey..." she then went to the counter where Larry was with the cash register. "This one please."

"Certainly," Larry took it and got it ready to wrap up. "Would you like this gift wrapped?"

"Yes, please."

Larry nodded, then took out wrapping paper. "What color?"

Denny hummed and looked at the various choices, then looked to the green paper with a purple bow. "Those please."

"Of course."

The rock employee then wrapped up the doll in the paper. He then got out a tag and wrote down on the tag of what the gerbil wanted him to. After he was done, Larry handed over the package to the girl.

"Thank you for shopping at Elmore Mall!" Larry called. "Have a wonderful day!"

"Thank you, sir." Denny smiled as she took the present, going to leave with her father.

Arthur then drove his daughter home.

"Daddy, do you think she'll like it?" Denny asked, very excited.

"I'm sure she'll enjoy it, dear," Arthur smiled in agreement. "Better go to bed early tonight so you're not so excited by tomorrow."

"Okay." Denny agreed.

After Denny and Arthur got home, they had some chicken and rice for dinner. When it was close to 8:30, Denny decided to go bed then. She was going to have a big day tomorrow. Tomorrow was Anais's birthday and Denny was invited to come celebrate with the Watterson family.

Denny ate as much to give herself a full belly, but not to give her a stomach ache, but just so she could fall asleep faster. She did a lot quicker than she thought she would, by the time Arthur was about to give her a third helping, she had already fallen asleep. Arthur chuckled and took Denny upstairs to her bedroom and tucked her in.

"Good night, sweetheart..." Arthur whispered with a smile and gently shut the door behind him, allowing his daughter to get some sleep.

The next morning, Denny woke up. She still felt a little full from her dinner, but she had a small bowl of cereal for her breakfast. She kept the present by her side as she was going to bring it when she would see the Wattersons today.

"Goodbye, dear, have a good day." Arthur smiled to his daughter.

"Okay, bye Dad!" Denny called. "You want anything while I'm out there?"

"Oh, maybe save me some cake?"

Denny rolled her eyes, but had a small laugh. She then hugged the present and went next door and rang the doorbell, eagerly.

Nicole answered the door and smiled. "Oh, Denny, welcome!

"Thanks, Mrs. Watterson," Denny smiled as she came in, seeing Gumball and Darwin on the couch with Richard, making balloons. "Hey, guys!"

"Hi, Denny!" Gumball greeted with a squeaky high voice.

"Yeah, hi!" Richard greeted, also very squeaky.

"Sup?" Darwin asked with a deep baritone voice.

Denny giggled. "Um, where should I put my present?"

"Oh, just put it on the table, Denny," Nicole smiled. "The cake should be ready any minute now."

Denny smiled and she decided to make balloons with Gumball and Darwin. Richard took a break, laughing out loud and went to join his wife. Nicole slapped his hand though as he wanted to have some before everybody else.

"So, where's the birthday girl?" Denny asked.

"Resting up in her room," Darwin answered, still dark and nearly diabolical. "Probably getting her beauty sleep."

Gumball laughed out loud at that.

About half an hour later, Anais came downstairs. Denny smiled and wished her a very happy birthday. The others did the same. It was time for cake now and everybody sang to the pink bunny girl. Anais grinned, after they sang to her, she blew out the candles, making everyone clap and cheer for her.

"Now, now," Nicole reminded the others after she cut cake slices for them. "Nobody gets to eat until Anais gets the first bite."

Anais smiled, she then took a bite and allowed everybody else to eat. Denny smiled since the cake happened to be her favorite flavor too. After cake, it was time for presents. Gumball and Darwin gave Anais their homework so she could do it for them, much to her annoyance. Nicole got Anais a brand new encyclopedia, knowing how very advanced her daughter was, Anais was sure he didn't think of this alone, but Richard had got her a globe of the amazing world of the planet.

"Thank you all so much for your presents!" Anais smiled politely.

"There's one more present, Anais." Denny said as she pushed hers over.

Anais smiled as she was about to unwrap it. "Denny, you didn't have to get me anything."

"I wanted to... Now open it up! I just know you'll love it!"

Anais smiled, very excited as she unwrapped the present. She then gasped once she saw what was in it and took it out. It was a Daisy doll! "You got this for me!?" she asked, squeaking with delight as she hugged the doll. "Oh, thank you, Denny! Thank you ever so much!" she then hugged the gerbil.

"You're very welcome," Denny chuckled. "I thought it might be up your road."

Gumball sighed, frustrated. "Alley! Alley! Up your alley!"

"Oops..." Denny giggled.

"Thank you, Denny... I can't wait to play with her later!" Anais smiled as she hugged her new gift. "This has been the best birthday ever."

Denny smiled, she felt really good inside that she had given Anais the perfect birthday present. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, she can talk!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, pull her string!"

Anais looked down at her doll and did just that.

'Sweet Dreams!~' the doll chimed before quietly braying.

Anais giggled, then smiled again to Denny. "Wanna play with her with me after we clean up?"

"Only if it's okay with you." Denny smiled back.

Anais smiled, it was okay with her. This really was the best birthday in her whole life, and she was only four right now. She was going to remember this day for the rest of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What should be next? Just let me know, I'm open for requests for future chapters!


	8. The Helmet

Lately, Gumball had been going around with a tin-foil hat on his head that he called a helmet. It brought him monstrous good luck and fortune, but today seemed different at school today.

"Gumball, where's your 'helmet'?" Denny asked as they were in the school gym to practice trampoline jumps. 

"Gumball got rid of his helmet because he said it wasn't fun anymore," Darwin explained, then looked back to the cat. "Do you ever miss the helmet?"

"No, why?" Gumball shrugged.

"Well, everyone seems to be using it for really cool stuff," Darwin explained. "Like Dad with the TV show and Mom with her job, all you ever did was lame party tricks."

"Guys, there's no such thing as luck," Denny said to them. "It's just all up to fate."

"Ah, guys, it doesn't matter," Gumball shrugged them off as it was his turn on the balance beam and trampoline. "I am happy to see the back of it succeeding in everything really took the joy out of life..." he said, but when it was his turn, he had ran and face planted into the balance beam, brought on by poor bad luck.

Denny cringed with Darwin. "Was Gumball originally black when you guys met?" she then asked, referring to the popular superstition of black cats being unlucky.

They were now in science class, Gumball, Denny, and Darwin were together at a table, making an experiment.

"You see, you take a pint of success, a dash of failure and you mix it together and that's what life interest--" Gumball said as he poured chemicals into his beaker and it suddenly blew up. "See... That wasn't so bad..."

"Uh, Gumball?" Denny spoke up, nervously. 

"What, Denny?" Gumball looked to her. 

"Didn't that ant farm have a glass shield?" Denny pointed.

"Ooh... You blew up the ant farm, dude..." Darwin was a little nervous.

The ants escaped and started crawling all over Gumball and bite him. Denny and Darwin held each other as Gumball was infested with the insects. Gumball kept trying to assure them that life was great regardless of the misfortune and suffering he had been having today so far ever since he gave up his helmet.

They were now in the cafeteria as it was lunch period now.

"So, are you saying, you're happy when you fail?" Darwin asked.

"Absolutely," Gumball remained optimistic. "It is the struggle that makes a victory sweet, besides... I still got it!"

"Oh, Gumball, no don't!" Denny squeaked.

It was too late, Gumball catapulted a clump of his food in the air and hit Darwin's eyes, causing him to fall and bump onto Banana Joe. This causes William the eyeball to fly up and knock Tobias's drink onto Tina and makes her drop her sandwich on the floor.

"Wow, it was like a 'School Berg Machine'." Denny punned, then laughed and saw Gumball's confused look on his face about why that was funny, so she stopped to avoid embarrassing herself with her witty sense of humor. If only her dad were there.

"Butter side down," Anton frowned at the fallen sandwich. "Just like poor Uncle Eddie."

"What do you know, my lunch is on the floor," Tina had a forced laugh, then glared at Denny, Gumball, and Darwin. "Hey, who's the funny guy who did that?"

Darwin, Gumball, and Denny smiled nervously. Darwin kept pointing to Gumball with his fin, but Denny and Gumball tried to lower it.

The trio then came out to the hallway. Gumball was shoved into Darwin's mouth while Denny's tail was tied around Darwin's legs, very tightly and painfully and she was being dragged around by the goldfish.

"And you guys know what the best thing about failure is?" Gumball asked as he came out of Darwin's mouth and attempted to untie Denny.

"No." Darwin said, trying to get the taste of cat out of his mouth.

"Yeah, what's so fun--OW, WATCH IT!" Denny winced with Gumball's tries to untie her.

"It's that it always builds your sense of humor!" Gumball laughed out loud, but then stopped and started to cry and let go of Denny, making her still tied with Darwin. "Who am I kidding? I am nothing without my helmet, I want it back..." he then grew demonic. "I NEED IT!"

"Whoa, calm down now..." Denny tried to relax him.

At the Watterson home, things were not much better. Richard, Nicole, and Gumball were fighting over the helmet, much to Denny, Darwin, and Anais's horror. Nicole had been tricked by Richard about the helmet and made a paper mache version in order to win on a game show. 

"I lost my job to Denny's father!" Nicole hissed.

"It's mine!" Richard snatched the hat, but was slammed to the floor. "But I'm on 'Hat or No Hat' tomorrow!"

"GIVE IT BACK!" Nicole, Richard, and Gumball yelled at each other as they kept fighting.

"STOP IT!" Denny decided to be the voice of reason, despite not being a member of this family, but everyone looked to her. "Look what you've become, this stupid hat is driving you all crazy!"

"Actually, it's a helmet." Gumball corrected.

"It's not a helmet or a hat, it's a piece of tin foil!" Anais agreed with the gerbil. "And it's tearing this family apart! Look at you, you're behaving like animals!"

Nicole looked to them and sighed. "The girls are right... That helmet has such a grip on us!"

"It's like the magic has taken control of the person who wears it." Richard added, rather maturely.

Gumball then laughed. "Well, it's in fact that if you guys don't want it, I guess I can have it back."

"No," Anais declined, glaring at her brother. "Me, Denny, and Darwin have been talking and we've decided, it has to be destroyed!"

"What!? You can't destroy it!" Gumball grew paranoid. "I'm nothing without it!"

"I'm sorry, honey, but they're right." Nicole replied.

Denny walked over to her new best friend and took it away. "I'm sorry, Gumball, but this is for your own good... Come on, guys... Let's destroy this thing before it destroys your family."

Denny, Darwin, and Anais were now walking through the dumping ground, going to get rid of this helmet for good. They couldn't live with it anymore and Denny just couldn't bear to live next door to a family bent on using tin foil to destroy the others. They couldn't just throw it away in the local garbage, oh, no, the Watterson family would just kill each other to get it. 

"This reminds me of a movie I saw once..." Denny said as they were going to throw the helmet into the furnace to burn it up.

"Can't we just rip it up?" Darwin spoke up.

"Have you ever tried ripping up tin foil?" Anais looked back to him. "Sounds horrible!"

"What are we going to do with it then?"

"It's going into the furnace, that way it'll be destroyed forever and no one will use it's power for evil!" Denny sounded rather demonic as she said that, then kept walking with two of her new best friends.

They kept walking, until they heard a mysterious hissing noise.

"W-What's that?" Denny got nervous as she held Anais.

"Sounds like a cat trying to say 'snake'." Darwin guessed.

"It's probably just the wind." Anais shrugged it off.

"If it's a cat, it's either your mother or your brother trying to scare us." Denny remarked since Gumball and Nicole were the only cats she knew.

"I dunno what the deal is with this lucky helmet anyway, looks pretty normal to me," Darwin said, then he put it on and found shiny stuff on the ground as they continued to walk. "Oh look, a gold ring! Oh look, a pearly necklace! Wow, a diamond encrusted chain and it spells 'Darwin'!"

"This is gonna take a while, isn't it?" Denny sighed.

Later on, they kept climbing. It was getting harder and harder. They were climbing a trash mountain now. What kind of dump was this?

"Come on!" Anais panted to her goldfish brother. "We're nearly there!"

"I-I can't do it..." Darwin was wore out due to the heavy jewelry he was carrying. "Anais... I-It's too heavy..."

"Well, give us the helmet, we'll deal with it."

"No... It's a man's job... Y-You're just a little girl... The helmet is my burden to carry... One of you can carry me though!"

Denny and Anais sighed. 

They then kept crawling and Denny was carrying Darwin for Anais's sake due to being a mere toddler. Denny panted as she carried the goldfish.

"Man, how much do you weigh?" Denny grunted. "20 pounds?"

Finally, they all made it to the top and were above the furnace garbage crusher. Denny couldn't carry Darwin much longer, so he plopped on top of her, nearly squishing her. 

"We've done our part, throw that stupid thing in the fire." Anais told Darwin.

"Okay!" Darwin agreed, he took the helmet off and was ready to get rid of it and went to the disposable. "Well, good riddance!"

The figure appeared, revealing to be Gumball and he jumped onto Darwin, worrying Anais and Denny. Gumball kept screeching and demanded to have the helmet back, proving he had truly gone insane over it. 

"Give it up, Gumball!" Anais stood bravely. "There's three of us! You'll never win!"

"Oh yeah?" Gumball taunted as he put the helmet on in victory. "I can already feel it's powers!"

"Well, not for long, come on, guys!" Anais commanded.

With that, Darwin and Anais kept trying to hit Gumball with rocks and blunt objects from the trash compactor. Denny even tried and accidentally ended up hitting an American bald eagle chick.

"An American bald eagle!" Darwin gasped.

"I heard those things were extinct!" Anais added.

"They are now..." Denny whimpered because of her lousy aim.

"I told you you couldn't hit me!" Gumball taunted with a smirk. "I'm the luckiest man alive!"

"It's not luck, I just can't throw very well!" Denny retorted, looking very angry and disappointed with her new best friend.

"Oh, then let me make it easier for you." Gumball stepped forward with a smirk to her.

"Come on, Denny, there's no way you could miss him that way." Darwin said to the gerbil.

Denny nodded, she took out a rock and tried to hit it at Gumball, but it landed right in front of his feet, not even touching him. How was that even possible!? 

"Nice try, but now it's my turn," Gumball looked evil now and saw a device right beside him. "Oh look, a tennis ball machine..."

Anais scoffed. "Good luck finding a power supply for that."

"Oh look," Gumball saw something else, glaring evilly to Darwin, Anais, and Denny. "A generator..."

"Okay, maybe that hat is magic after all..." Anais was nervous now. "RUN!"

Denny shrieked as she ran with Darwin and Anais as Gumball attacked them with the tennis ball machine. They ran into a shelter, but they couldn't stay there forever.

"He's got us cornered," Denny whimpered. "What can we do?"

"Pass me that stale baguette." Darwin commanded.

"Why?" the girls asked, doing as he said.

"Don't worry about it," Darwin said to them. "Just tell Mom and Dad I love them." 

"DARWIN, NO!" Denny cried as the goldfish left to go sacrifice himself to Gumball.

Denny and Anais held each other as Gumball and Darwin were going to fight each other with the helmet. The tennis balls were shooting rapidly for Darwin and he looked like a war hero. Darwin was able to hit back and knocked the helmet off Gumball's head.

"NO!" Gumball cried. "MY POWER!"

Denny shook Darwin awake as he was lying in the ground. "Wake up, Darwin, the helmet's gone."

"Oh, cool!" Darwin got up with a smile.

Gumball still tried to get the helmet as it was inches away from the garbage crusher. The others thought he fell and died, but saw he was holding his tail against a nail to get the helmet.

"What is wrong with you!?" Anais glared at her brother's life decisions.

"My helmet..." Gumball struggled. "I can almost reach it!"

"Gumball, give me your hand..." Denny held her paw out to him.

"No, I need the power!" Gumball glared at her, his shirt was staring to rip, which meant that if he fell, he could get killed.

Denny gasped and held his paw back. "No... I can't let you do this to yourself, Gumball!"

"She's right, it's just a piece of tin foil!" Darwin added.

"But think of all the stuff we can do with it!" Gumball looked back as Denny helped him up.

"Listen Gumball, the helmet is powerful, but it's also evil." Anais reminded him.

"Look at what it's done to you and your family!" Denny cried as she pulled Gumball back, not wanting to live without him. 

"But... I'm nothing without it..." Gumball frowned.

"Gumball, we're nothing without you," Anais cooed. "Now let Denny help you up."

Gumball looked back at the helmet, he then sighed and gave in, letting Denny take him back. Denny struggled and pulled him up high in the air and the two accidentally ended up over each other. Denny was flat on the ground and Gumball was on her stomach.

"This is awkward..." Gumball chuckled nervously.

"Yeah...." Denny smiled nervously back. "Now get off..."

Gumball did that and the two stood up.

"Come on, gang, let's go home." Denny said to them, walking off with them to get back home.

The next morning, Denny was eating a bowl of cereal. 

"Denise, dear... I got a new hat!" Arthur called from the distance, then walked in, wearing Gumball's old helmet. "What do you think?"

Denny gulped down her cereal and had a dooming expression on her face.


End file.
